Iron Sharpens Iron

I'm leaving this afternoon to travel to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to attend the Iron Sharpens Iron conference this weekend, and I am extremely excited.

While the conference is on Saturday, a group of men from our church are headed down tonight to stay over. We'll do the conference tomorrow, stay tomorrow night, attend church in N.H. Sunday morning and then head back home. I am looking forward to some great fellowship with the other guys and with God.

Tunes are essential for any road trip, and I just got Passion: Everything Glorious which will definitely go in the CD player. The newest Passion album features live worship tunes from the likes of Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Charlie Hall, and Matt Redman.

Incredible music. These guys are not only incredible musicians, but they truly have a heart for God. But, this isn't old-school worship, or even like previous Passion albums. This one rocks! Crowder is just amazing! Well worth checking out.

Tastes Like Chicken

The latest from Josh Alves. A good commentary on the high price of gas and what it might take to get some in the days ahead.

Put another tally in nature's win column

What is this week's animal struggle against the inventions of mankind? Crocodile "wins" tussle with chainsaw:

SYDNEY, Australia - A 14.5-foot crocodile mauled a chainsaw a worker was using Friday to clear up debris left by a tropical storm that lashed northern Australia. While the croc and worker were both uninjured, the saw's woodcutting days are over.

"Get out of here"

This is the actual Hebrew definition of TomKat's new baby girl. Named "Suri", a Cruise family spokesperson said that the name had its origin in ancient Hebrew. This is puzzling the Israelis.

“I really don’t know what they were thinking when they chose this name. It’s a term that denotes expulsion, like ‘Get out of here’,” said Gideon Goldenberg, a linguistics professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “It’s pretty blunt.”


Suri is a name that spans cultures, and it quite nice in other tongues rather than Hebrew, such as Persian, in which it means "Rose".

TomKat should have done some more research before they claimed a native tongue to the name.

Appalachian Impressions

The Mrs. and I just finished watching Appalachian Impression: Hiking the Appalachian Trail by Flagler Films. I got interested in the AT after reading A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.

I was pleasantly surprised by the incredible professional feel of this video. I think they did a great job of taking a look at the beauty of the 2,173 miles of the AT, while letting people know what an incredibly difficult task it is to thru-hike.

I must admit, for a fleeting moment I had grandious thoughts of hiking the entire thing. I know that this is complete foolishness, and the deal was clinched when they showed someone in the video flicking off his big toenail because they had all rotted off. Uh huh, no 2,200 miles hikes through the woods for me.

Someday I might do "the one hundred miles" trek in Maine, but that is in the distant future.

Sorry for the lack of posts

My wife and I are vacation this week, so I really haven't had a lot of time to sit down at the compter and connect the information umbilical. Nor have I really had a desire...

The Mrs. and I had a complete movie fest yesterday, starting early and ending late. We watched five movies yesterday (yes, my eyes are bleeding...). Here they are:

Dreamer- Excellent movie well worth a rental. Kurt Russell is always enjoyable and Dakota Fanning is just an amazing actor.

The Brothers Grimm- Another good one, well worth watching. Great take on the Brothers Grimm. Elements of the classic tales are woven throughout. Plus, Heath Ledger and Matt Damon had great chemistry.

Valiant- Complete and pleasant surprise. Animation was great. Good story. Well worth the time spent.

Chicken Little- Good flick, but not what I expected it to be.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou- Did the actors pay for this movie, or did they get paid to make it? I'm sure they are paying for it somehow. Any funny scene there was, it was in the trailer. It had lots of potential, I mean, c'mon, the cast includes Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe and Cate Blanchette, but it was a horrid movie. Good thing it was only $1!

Of course, there has been plenty of Halo 2 on Xbox Live. Maybe even some tonight! The Mrs. has joined the fray, and boy, is she good with a rocket launcher! She is getting good with the sniper, which even I can't use.

All right, I'm off to enjoy the rest of my vacation. The grind is going to return next week to smack me right in the face...

He is Risen!

Happy Easter everyone! While the Easter Bunny is a fun little fable for the kids, the real reason for Easter is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, come to this Earth as a sacrifice for each of us, to be a victor over death and sin, which we are born into. Today we celebrate Christ's death and resurrection from that death.

The account of Jesus' resurrection from Matthew 28:

Matthew 28

The Resurrection

1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

The Guards' Report

11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Christians, today is a day of joy and celebration, because we have a risen Lord that seeks and saves.

If you are reading this today and don't know Christ the Risen Lord and want to have a personal relationship with him, you can.

Good Friday

Not much time for blogging this week as Good Friday and Easter approach. Our church is having a communion service on Good Friday and two services on Easter, so I have been very involved with the music portions of these services, both in picking music and playing.

Hopefully more to come later today.

Katie Couric look alike?

As most of the world probably knows by now, Katie Couric, "America's Sweetheart", is leaving the NBC Today show to anchor the CBS News, and Meredith Vieira has been chosen as her successor.

Is anybody else completely irritated by this? I've talked to plenly of Today Show faithful's that are. What was NBC thinking? Why not hire from within?

Because they were looking for a Katie Couric doppleganger, and they found it with Vieira. Do these two look a lot alike, or is it just me?


What about these other talented women that already work for NBC and in particular, the Today Show?



I have been saying for years that Ann Curry should be the co-anchor with Matt Lauer. Ann and Matt have a great chemistry. Why wasn't she given the nod? Natalie Morales would also be a great choice. Campbell Brown, who co-anchors with Lester Holt on the weekends was passed up why? Because they wanted another bouncy blond to try and lure morning viewers? I watch the Today Show despite Katie Couric, not because of her.

Vieira, whose recent gigs include "The View" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", isn't going to be half the news prescence at NBC that Couric was.

A poor choice in my opinion.

"Casablanca" top screenplay

The Writer's Guild named Casablanca the best screenplay ever. And I don't blame them. My wife and I watched Casablanca for the first time ever last weekend, and I was blown away. They don't make movies like that anymore, and that isn't necessarily a good thing. It had a great story, action, exotic locale, and well, Bogart and Bergman, a killer duo.

Sure, compared to today's glitzy blockbust movie standards, it was lacking. Unfortunately, modern movies often rely on over-the-top effects and scenes to carry the movie. The screenplay lacks. Not so with Casablanca. An amazing story and the writing team of Epstein, Epstein, and Koch nailed it, despite many obstacles. I plan to add this movie to the collection ASAP.

Oh, by the way, the Writer's Guild also picked out 100 other movies with the "Best Ever" claim. Here is the top 10:

1. CASABLANCA
Screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. Based on the play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison

2. THE GODFATHER
Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo

3. CHINATOWN
Written by Robert Towne

4. CITIZEN KANE
Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles

5. ALL ABOUT EVE
Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Based on "The Wisdom of Eve," a short story and radio play by Mary Orr

6. ANNIE HALL
Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman

7. SUNSET BLVD.
Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman, Jr.

8. NETWORK
Written by Paddy Chayefsky

9. SOME LIKE IT HOT
Screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond. Based on "Fanfare of Love," a German film written by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan

10. THE GODFATHER II
Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo's novel "The Godfather"

Read the rest of the list here.

Jesus walks on ice?

These days it seems to be the in thing too once again try to debunk the divinity of Jesus Christ. Michael Baigent has a book out about just that. Most I’ve talked too have determined that he is just plain crazy and has no proof, just tons of speculation. At least he is making some cash right?

So here is yet another attempt to man Jesus merely a man. Did Jesus walk on water? Or ice? Some scientist now seem to think there was a chance that He found an ice patch:

Rare conditions could have conspired to create hard-to-see ice on the Sea of Galilee that a person could have walked on back when Jesus is said to have walked on water, a scientist reported Tuesday.

The study, which examines a combination of favorable water and environmental conditions, proposes that Jesus could have walked on an isolated patch of floating ice on what is now known as Lake Kinneret in northern Israel.

Um, right. Now here is what the book of John has to say:

John 6:18-20 (New International Version)

18. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles,[a] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. 20. But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid."

So, if you believe the Bible, and I do, the boys were three or so miles out in the boat on choppy seas. I believe that the fully divine Jesus walked on the water to the disciples in the boat.

But, just for the sake of argument, let's say it was ice. I'd say it still falls into the miracle category to ride a piece of ice miles out into the Sea of Galilea on some majorly choppy water. And on top of that he used the "ice patch" to get to the boat and got in (John 6:19).